Findings

Congress finds the following: (1) Paraprofessionals and education support staff are invaluable members of the education system and school community. (2) More than 2,000,000 paraprofessionals and education support staff are the frontline workers who transform public elementary and secondary schools in the United States from brick and mortar buildings to places of learning and support for more than 54,000,000 students across the United States. (3) Many paraprofessionals and education support staff are, as a matter of practice, laid off at the end of each school year and rehired annually, and lack job security. (4) Over 500,000 paraprofessionals provide essential support for children with disabilities to access a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. (5) While paraprofessionals and education support staff are often the most diverse subset of school employees, are more likely to have grown up in the communities they serve, and are trusted school community members for many students and parents, the voices of paraprofessionals and education support staff are not always reflected in school policies.